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Abstract: The contribution of women in the Bamenda western Grassfields of Cameroon to the struggle for liberation from colonial rule manifested itself in many diverse forms, including mass mobilization, petitions, boycotts, and engagement in overtly hostile acts. The women's revolt in this region was well thought-out and their activities in the different fondoms carefully synchronized. This organization was also the upshot of an authoritative and menacing use of symbols that startled men's institutions like kuiifuai or kwifoyn which out-rightly or tacitly supported the colonial subjugation of women. These were forced into lassitude, and the result was the sovereignty of British Southern Cameroons through reunification with the Republic of Cameroon on 1 October 1961, with the territory renamed the West Cameroon State.1
Introduction
The women of the western Grassfields of Cameroon played a cutting edge role in the liberation struggle against colonial rule, as did women throughout the continent. The role of women, however, has unfortunately not achieved the same attention as that of men. The works of Awasom (2002, 2006), Shanklin (1990), Nkwi (1976, 1985), and Diduk (1989, 2004) though focused on women's role have not placed women as a central factor in the liberation struggle in the western Grassfields of Cameroon. Nkwi and Nkwain (1963) have, however, examined some aspects of organization but the focus of the literature on the liberation struggle in Africa has been on the role of male elites.2 This paper seeks to elevate the role of women from the footnotes of history to which they have been relegated in the official narratives and restore them to their rightful place in securing the reunification of British Southern Cameroons with the Republic of Cameroon.
In the colonial era the western Grassfields (see Map 1) formed part of the mandate of the League of Nations (1922 to 1945) and then a trust territory of the United Nations (1946-1961) and was governed on behalf of these international organizations by the British as Southern Cameroons (see Map 2), which they administered through Nigeria but not as part of that colony. It was and remains largely a high northern rural grassland plateau and was initially governed as the Bamenda Division.3 In 1949, the territory was transformed into the Bamenda Province, one of two provinces of...